A side chain type polymer liquid crystalline compound with which a light absorption anisotropic film having a high alignment degree can be formed, which includes a liquid crystalline composition, a light absorption anisotropic film which is formed of the liquid crystalline composition, a laminate, and an image display device. A liquid crystalline composition contains a side chain type polymer liquid crystalline compound and a dichroic substance, the side chain type polymer liquid crystalline compound is a copolymer having repeating units 1 and 2, the repeating unit 1 has a mesogenic group and an electron-withdrawing group having a Hammett's substituent constant σp of greater than 0 at a terminal of the mesogenic group, and the repeating unit 2 has a mesogenic group and a group having a Hammett's substituent constant σp of 0 or less at a terminal of the mesogenic group.

A side chain type polymer liquid crystalline compound with which a light absorption anisotropic film having a high alignment degree can be formed, which includes a liquid crystalline composition, a light absorption anisotropic film which is formed of the liquid crystalline composition, a laminate, and an image display device. A liquid crystalline composition contains a side chain type polymer liquid crystalline compound and a dichroic substance, the side chain type polymer liquid crystalline compound is a copolymer having repeating units 1 and 2, the repeating unit 1 has a mesogenic group and an electron-withdrawing group having a Hammett's substituent constant σp of greater than 0 at a terminal of the mesogenic group, and the repeating unit 2 has a mesogenic group and a group having a Hammett's substituent constant σp of 0 or less at a terminal of the mesogenic group.

Provided is a liquid crystal composition that is capable of forming a light absorption anisotropic film having a high degree of alignment, excellent moisture-heat resistance, and excellent alignment uniformity, a light absorption anisotropic film, a laminate, and an image display device. The liquid crystal composition includes a liquid crystal compound, a first dichroic substance having a structure represented by Formula (1), and a second dichroic substance having a structure represented by Formula (2).

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The present invention relates to a liquid crystal device, a method of manufacturing the liquid crystal device, and the use of the liquid crystal device. The liquid crystal device according to the present invention has excellent light shielding rate variability characteristics. Such a liquid crystal device can be applied to various optical modulation devices such as a smart window, a window protection film, a flexible display device, an active retarder for displaying a 3D image, or a viewing angle adjustment film.

A liquid crystal light control element that controls a light absorption state by voltage application, the liquid crystal light control element including: a liquid crystal layer containing a liquid crystal composition between a pair of substrates each having an electrode; and a liquid crystal alignment film that is provided on at least one of the substrates and aligns a liquid crystal vertically, wherein the liquid crystal composition contains a liquid crystal and a dichroic dye, the liquid crystal alignment film is obtained from a liquid crystal aligning agent containing a polyimide precursor in which a diamine having a specific side chain is used as a part of the raw material or a polyimide obtained by imidizing the polyimide precursor, and the proportion of the diamine used is 50 to 100 mol % based on the entire diamine component.

A liquid crystal light control element that controls a light absorption state by voltage application, the liquid crystal light control element including: a liquid crystal layer containing a liquid crystal composition between a pair of substrates each having an electrode; and a liquid crystal alignment film that is provided on at least one of the substrates and aligns a liquid crystal vertically, wherein the liquid crystal composition contains a liquid crystal and a dichroic dye, the liquid crystal alignment film is obtained from a liquid crystal aligning agent containing a polyimide precursor in which a diamine having a specific side chain is used as a part of the raw material or a polyimide obtained by imidizing the polyimide precursor, and the proportion of the diamine used is 50 to 100 mol % based on the entire diamine component.

The present invention relates to azo dye of formula I ##STR00001##
defined in claim 1, to a liquid crystalline medium comprising said azo dye, the use of said medium for optical, electrooptical and electronic purposes, in particular in devices for regulating the passage of energy from an outside space into an inside space, for example in windows. The invention further relates to a device containing the liquid crystalline medium according to the invention.

The present invention relates to azo dye of formula I ##STR00001##
defined in claim 1, to a liquid crystalline medium comprising said azo dye, the use of said medium for optical, electrooptical and electronic purposes, in particular in devices for regulating the passage of energy from an outside space into an inside space, for example in windows. The invention further relates to a device containing the liquid crystalline medium according to the invention.

A liquid-crystal (LC) medium containing one or more dyes and one or more polymerizable compounds, its use for optical, electro-optical and electronic purposes, in particular in LC displays, especially in colour LC displays of the PSA (polymer sustained alignment) or SA (self-aligning) mode containing a quantum dot colour filter (QDCF), an LC display of the PSA or SA mode containing the LC medium and containing a QDCF, and to a process of manufacturing the LC display.

Provided are a liquid crystal composition that is capable of forming a light absorption anisotropic film having a low reflectance, and a light absorption anisotropic film, a laminate, and an image display device, each of which is obtained using the liquid crystal composition. The liquid crystal composition contains a side-chain type high-molecular-weight liquid crystalline compound and a dichroic substance, in which the side-chain type high-molecular-weight liquid crystalline compound is a copolymer having a repeating unit M including a mesogenic group and a repeating unit F including a fluorine atom.